DAMASCUS - The Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli missile attack over the capital Damascus on Monday evening, state news agency SANA reported.

The Israeli warplanes launched their attack from over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The air defense missiles were seen in the sky over Damascus chasing after the Israeli missile strike as people heard explosions around the capital.

The Syrian state media report said several Israeli missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the Israeli missile strike targeted military positions of the Syrian army and the pro-government Iranian militias in the vicinity of the capital.

Throughout the Syrian crisis, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria, as well as convoys transporting weapons to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia allegedly backed by Iran.